No Chelios In 1st Game Vs. Blues

March 16, 1991|By Mike Kiley, Chicago Tribune.

ST. LOUIS — The time has come in this river city to groom those Clydesdales at the Anheuser-Busch stables. Polish up the Arch. Toot those paddleboat horns on the Mississippi. It`s a party weekend where they want to sing the Blues.

In Chicago, Blackhawks fans are flexing their vocal cords and making preparations to ensure the Stadium sounds Sunday like an O`Hare Airport runway. Earmuffs are optional attire.

If you just can`t wait for the National Hockey League playoffs to begin April 4, the critical games Saturday night in St. Louis and Sunday night in Chicago should satisfy your craving. They will help influence whether either finishes with the most points in the league.

``This is what it`s all about,`` said Blues coach Brian Sutter. ``You hope a bad bounce or a lucky break doesn`t make the difference. You want an honest effort. It`ll be two teams going at high intensity.``

But the Hawks will have to go at full tilt Saturday without defenseman Chris Chelios and physical winger Mike Peluso, both of whom must serve automatic one-game suspensions.

The reason for those penalties were the game misconducts given to them in the Hawks` 6-3 victory at Los Angeles Thursday night. Chelios was third man into a fight and Peluso accidentally high-sticked a King.

It was Chelios` third non-stick-related game misconduct and Peluso`s second stick-related game misconduct, which call for those automatic suspensions.

Cam Russell will likely fill in the slot opened by Chelios` absence, while Mike Hudson can take over the forward spot with Peluso out.

Sutter has his own problems. Vincent Riendeau couldn`t play as expected in goal Thursday, feeling a twinge in the groin muscle he hurt a while back. Rookie Pat Jablonski was pressed into action at the last minute and could only tie Minnesota 2-2, giving up a goal in the final minute to Mike Modano.

Jablonski is 1-1-3 with a 2.68 goals-against average, his only NHL victory against the Hawks Feb. 26 when he replaced injured Curtis Joseph (now shelved) early in the game.

Hawks coach Mike Keenan was less effusive than Sutter about the important consecutive games. ``It`ll be an interesting weekend,`` said the master of understatement.

Interesting, indeed, if the Hawks can make a clean sweep of the double-header. In that case they would open a commanding five-point lead on the Blues with seven games left to play before the postseason for both clubs.

If the Blues win a pair, they would once again move past the Hawks and lead by three points. The Hawks lead the NHL with 92 points, one ahead of the Blues, Kings and Calgary.

All these teams reside in the Campbell Conference. So the race is not to see just which of them will carry the clout of home advantage in their divisional rounds in the playoffs, but also which will have home advantage if they reach the conference finals.

Since the Flames set a club-record unbeaten streak at home of 18 games Thursday, and since the Kings have the crown prince of hockey in Wayne Gretzky, the Hawks need the advantage of knowing a series against either one would open and, if necessary, close at the Stadium.

``Let`s not get too far ahead of ourselves,`` Keenan cautioned. ``That`s down the road.``

All he can immediately see down the road is the Arena, where the Blues await. The Hawks hold a slight 3-2-1 edge over them from six previous meetings this season, but those two setbacks were administered in St. Louis.